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The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 2016-02-18

The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 2016-02-18 1 page

Advice for keeping resolutions INSIDE *4 UPDATE: High-profile cases INSIDE ? 3 If you missed the one-aets... INSIDE ? 12 Amherst News-Times Issue 7, Volume 34 Breaking news at theamherstnewstimes.com Thursday, February 18,2016 ? $1 Power deal could save $300K Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times Mayor Mark Costilow answers questions about electricity costs and his proposal to lock in market rates. By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Locking in lower electricity rates could save Amherst ratepayers somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000 per year starting in 2017. Mayor Mark Costilow asked Monday to ink a deal with American Municipal Power that could significantly cut into the city's energy spending, and found interest from city council's utilities committee. Here's how it works: Amherst buys a little more than 75 percent of its power each year from coal and hydroelectric plants, which have set prices for each kilowatt hour residents use. Our town's remaining electricity is bought on the open market, where prices fluctuate up and down. That usually costs around six to seven cents per kilowatt hour, but rates right now are very low. AMP is offering to negotiate a locked-in prict of 4.9 cents or lower. Costilow said he believes 4.5 cents would be possible if council were to act quickly. "Rates are the lowest they have been in history, our recent history," he said. Every penny saved amounts to roughly $300,000 in savings, passed on directly to residents, he said. Just don't expect your power bill to go down. While the proposed threeyear contract could save a big chunk of cash, it would likely See POWER 14 Raptor to scan Firelands visitor ID's for offenders Superintendent says, 'We want to make sure it really is Mrs. Jones' By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Beefed-up security started targeting sex offenders and strangers Tuesday at the Firelands Schools. A new check-in protocol will be used to confirm the identity of visitors to Firelands Elementary, South Amherst Middle School, and Firelands High who intend to travel past the main office. A computer system called Raptor will also be used to scan Ohio driver's licenses or state ID cards, checking them against a national sex offender database. Raptor will scan the visitor's name, date of birth, and photo. Approved visitors will be issued name badges. "If a parent is coming in, dropping off Johnny's lunch, they're not going to go through this process because they're not going beyond the office," said Superintendent Mike Von Gunten. "We're talking See RAPTOR 14 Von Gunten INDEX Obituaries: 2 Opinion: 5 Comics: 6 Classifieds: 10 JOIN THE CONVERSATION What's your take on today's news? Go to ) 11- m. ???.!??>? ri A ineamnersi newstimes.com and visit us on facebook to share your thoughts. fl 0BBQ5 11 33H03 "? Si' f 1 f o| 5 r dB ?1 < (/) CM 2MsifIsiSl 5isx ? ssl* I Big? George Washington visits I ^ Randy Meyers | Amherst News-Times Dale Fellows portrayed President George Washington on Thursday night at the Amherst Public Library. He is part of the Presidential Living Historians Group, which reenacts past presidents including Washington, Lincoln, Garfield, Grant, and Taft. Fellows gave a 20-minute presentation to the library audience as If the real George Washington were in the room. After that he broke character for a quest Ion-artd-answer session. Ohio: PARCC opt-outs to count against districts'grades By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Expect anger over testing to deal a blow to the Amherst and Firelands school systems when state report cards are released Feb. 25. The Ohio Department of Education has confirmed that students who chose not to take last year's controversial PARCC exams will count against districts' grades. "Virtually all" students ? nearly 99 percent ? took the state tests last school year, the ODE said in a release. "A very small percentage of districts and community schools experienced a substantial decrease in student participation. Most report card measures are not directly impacted by student participation," the state said in a release. Greg Ring, superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Lorain County, said he is doubtful that 99 percent is an accurate number.Educators here said 177 Firelands kids and "several dozen" in Amherst refused to sit through the PARCCs as parents protested the highpressure exams. Elyria and Keystone also had high opt-out rates, Ring said, and Avon Lake, often the county's best-performing school on the report cards, is expected to take a steep tumble due to the PARCC exams. "That tells you right there that it's more than one percent that didn't take the tests," he said. Part of the problem is that parents have the right to withhold their children from testing. Ring said schools have no part in that decision but are still held accountable. Last month, district See PARCC 14 The Park lanes you know and love is now... mmm we: '? ? ? .imrrw mwwmmm ^ AMHewjt |&fVMlA-lP!>M .?. ? r*i4M-i*iit ? SUN HOON-iftS ? MW^jnuinm IJ

Advice for keeping resolutions INSIDE *4 UPDATE: High-profile cases INSIDE ? 3 If you missed the one-aets... INSIDE ? 12 Amherst News-Times Issue 7, Volume 34 Breaking news at theamherstnewstimes.com Thursday, February 18,2016 ? $1 Power deal could save $300K Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times Mayor Mark Costilow answers questions about electricity costs and his proposal to lock in market rates. By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Locking in lower electricity rates could save Amherst ratepayers somewhere between $300,000 and $400,000 per year starting in 2017. Mayor Mark Costilow asked Monday to ink a deal with American Municipal Power that could significantly cut into the city's energy spending, and found interest from city council's utilities committee. Here's how it works: Amherst buys a little more than 75 percent of its power each year from coal and hydroelectric plants, which have set prices for each kilowatt hour residents use. Our town's remaining electricity is bought on the open market, where prices fluctuate up and down. That usually costs around six to seven cents per kilowatt hour, but rates right now are very low. AMP is offering to negotiate a locked-in prict of 4.9 cents or lower. Costilow said he believes 4.5 cents would be possible if council were to act quickly. "Rates are the lowest they have been in history, our recent history," he said. Every penny saved amounts to roughly $300,000 in savings, passed on directly to residents, he said. Just don't expect your power bill to go down. While the proposed threeyear contract could save a big chunk of cash, it would likely See POWER 14 Raptor to scan Firelands visitor ID's for offenders Superintendent says, 'We want to make sure it really is Mrs. Jones' By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Beefed-up security started targeting sex offenders and strangers Tuesday at the Firelands Schools. A new check-in protocol will be used to confirm the identity of visitors to Firelands Elementary, South Amherst Middle School, and Firelands High who intend to travel past the main office. A computer system called Raptor will also be used to scan Ohio driver's licenses or state ID cards, checking them against a national sex offender database. Raptor will scan the visitor's name, date of birth, and photo. Approved visitors will be issued name badges. "If a parent is coming in, dropping off Johnny's lunch, they're not going to go through this process because they're not going beyond the office," said Superintendent Mike Von Gunten. "We're talking See RAPTOR 14 Von Gunten INDEX Obituaries: 2 Opinion: 5 Comics: 6 Classifieds: 10 JOIN THE CONVERSATION What's your take on today's news? Go to ) 11- m. ???.!??>? ri A ineamnersi newstimes.com and visit us on facebook to share your thoughts. fl 0BBQ5 11 33H03 "? Si' f 1 f o| 5 r dB ?1 < (/) CM 2MsifIsiSl 5isx ? ssl* I Big? George Washington visits I ^ Randy Meyers | Amherst News-Times Dale Fellows portrayed President George Washington on Thursday night at the Amherst Public Library. He is part of the Presidential Living Historians Group, which reenacts past presidents including Washington, Lincoln, Garfield, Grant, and Taft. Fellows gave a 20-minute presentation to the library audience as If the real George Washington were in the room. After that he broke character for a quest Ion-artd-answer session. Ohio: PARCC opt-outs to count against districts'grades By Jason Hawk jhawk@civitasmedia.com Expect anger over testing to deal a blow to the Amherst and Firelands school systems when state report cards are released Feb. 25. The Ohio Department of Education has confirmed that students who chose not to take last year's controversial PARCC exams will count against districts' grades. "Virtually all" students ? nearly 99 percent ? took the state tests last school year, the ODE said in a release. "A very small percentage of districts and community schools experienced a substantial decrease in student participation. Most report card measures are not directly impacted by student participation," the state said in a release. Greg Ring, superintendent of the Educational Service Center of Lorain County, said he is doubtful that 99 percent is an accurate number.Educators here said 177 Firelands kids and "several dozen" in Amherst refused to sit through the PARCCs as parents protested the highpressure exams. Elyria and Keystone also had high opt-out rates, Ring said, and Avon Lake, often the county's best-performing school on the report cards, is expected to take a steep tumble due to the PARCC exams. "That tells you right there that it's more than one percent that didn't take the tests," he said. Part of the problem is that parents have the right to withhold their children from testing. Ring said schools have no part in that decision but are still held accountable. Last month, district See PARCC 14 The Park lanes you know and love is now... mmm we: '? ? ? .imrrw mwwmmm ^ AMHewjt |&fVMlA-lP!>M .?. ? r*i4M-i*iit ? SUN HOON-iftS ? MW^jnuinm IJ